When at home or in London, The Countess will often meet representatives from those charities and regiments with which she is associated. It is important to her that she is kept informed of their activities and plans and is keen not just to be seen as a figurehead, but as an extra source of advice and support.

After the visit to Timpson’s, Her Royal Highness went to the Royal School for the Deaf and Communication Disorders, based in Cheadle. The Countess is a Trustee of the RNID, Patron of the Royal College of Speech & Language Therapists, Patron of the National Autistic Society and will often make time for special needs schools focussing on issues of communication, which is one the central themes to her work.

The Countess completed her day in the North West with The Halle Orchestra, of which she is Patron, who were mid-rehearsal at the BBC Manchester Studios. The Orchestra members spend much of their time between concerts taking their music to a variety of communities including schools and prisons, something that The Countess is very supportive of, and during a break in rehearsals she was able to hear more about their work from the individuals involved.